Supporting frame for circuit plate



Se t. 29, 1964 J. CHAMBON ETAL SUPPORTING FRAME FOR CIRCUIT PLATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1962 WHH HHHHHHHHHHH fi WAR R p @w P 1954 J. CHAMBON ETAL 3,150,906

SUPPORTINGFRAMEFOR CIRCUITPLATE Filed June 7, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,150,906 SUPPORTHNG FRAME FGR CIRCUIT PLATE Jacques Chamhon, Grenoble, and Roger Viguie, Soisystir-Seine, France, assignors to (Zornmissariat a IEnergie Atomique, Paris, France Filed June 7, i962, Ser. No. 260,820 Claims priority, application France, June 12, 1961, 864,536 1 Claim. (Cl. 33945) The present invention relates to an interchangeable element which is intended to support and rigidly maintain a plate on which are mounted electric circuits. The invention is preferably although not exclusively intended for use in conjunction with those electrical circuits which are designed according to the known method of printed circuits.

It is known that in this case, the plates are preferably provided in the form of thin sheets obtained from a small thickness of good electric insulation material. The various inputs or outputs of the circuits which are printed on the said material are connected to a series of metallic contacts which are grouped together on one of the sides of the plates and placed at right angles to this latter.

The invention has for its object to permit the locking and position-maintenance of each plate on a stand ard element or frame and to provide in addition means for permitting a number of identical frames to be assembled together in a simple and very easily detachable manner.

To this end, each frame, which is formed by an up right member fitted with a multi-terminal connector and completed by two parallel lateral members in each of which is formed a groove serving as a guide for the edges of the plate, is characterized in that the said frame comprises locking and withdrawal hooks designed to pivot about pins which are made integral with the said frame through slots formed in the plane of the guide grooves, the said hooks each comprising on the one hand a tooth which effects the locking action as a result of the engagement of the said tooth inside a notch formed in the corresponding edge of the plate and, on the other hand, a finger which effects the withdrawal of the plate by hearing against a shoulder formed on the same edge of the said plate.

Each hook is provided with a control rod which serves to effect the operation of the said hook either in the direction of locking or of withdrawal of the plate as a result of the rotation of the said hook about the pivot-pin.

In addition, each hook is provided with a restoring member which applies a force having a tendency to continuously thrust back the said hook towards the locking position thereof, the said restoring member consisting of a spring coiled round the pin about which the said hook is adapted to pivot, and the ends of which are applied respectively on the one hand against the frames and on the other hand against the hook itself.

Finally, it can be useful to form units which comprise a number of series of interchangeable frames of the type referred-to above. With this object in view, and in order to carry out the assembly of two frames, provision is made both for fixation studs which are integral with the side members and which are designed to fit inside bores formed in the corresponding sides of the other frame, as well as for sole-pieces which are rigidly fixed to the connector-supports and which serve as a bearing abutment for each frame.

Further advantages and characteristic features of the present invention will be more clearly brought out by the description which follows below with reference to one example of construction of the invention, it being 3,152,906 Patentedsept. 29, 1964 understood that the said example is not given in any sense by way of limitation.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 represents a view in horizontal cross-section of a supporting frame constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIG. 2 represents a side view of the frame of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 represents an end view of the frame of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 represents an assembly of three frames mounted together.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, a frame in accordance with the invention is composed chiefly of a frame support 1 which is joined to two lateral uprights 2 and 3. The support 1 holds between two shoulders 4 and 5 a multiterminal connector 6, the lead-out connections of which are joined to spade terminals such as the terminal 7 which are grouped together at one end of the connector. In order to simplify the figure, only two spade terminals 7 have been illustrated.

The support 1 is joined to the uprights 2 and 3 by any appropriate means such as cap screws 8, for example.

In the frame referred-to above, there is fitted a plate 9 which serves as a base for any electric circuit, which is not illustrated in the drawings. The input and output contacts 10 of the said circuit are grouped together on one of the edges of the plate, the said edge being intended to be fitted into the multi-terminal connector 6. In accordance with the invention, the frame is provided with a system for locking the plate in position; to this end, there is formed in each of the lateral uprights 2 and 3 a groove 11 inside which the edges of the circuit-plate 9 are intended to slide. Two hooks 12 and 13 having teeth 12a and 13a, respectively corresponding respectively to the sides 2 and 3, are pivotally mounted on two pins 14 and 15 in such manner that the ends of the said hooks can engage inside notches 16 and 17 formed in the plate itself at a suitable distance from that end of the said plate which is fitted inside the connector 6. Hooks 12 and 13 are provided with handles 22 and 23, respectively. In the locking position, it is accordingly ensured that a satisfactory coupling is provided between the contacts 10 of the plate 9 and the spade terminals 7 of the connector.

In order to permit the possibility of changing and replacing one plate by another and, as a means to achieving this purpose, in order to unlock the hooks which are engaged inside the corresponding notches, provision has been made for two fingers 18 and 19 which are respectively integral with the hooks 12 and 13 and which are brought to bear against two shouldered portions 20 and 21 of the plate 9; a movement applied against the handles 22 and 23 of the hooks in the direction which tends to draw them towards each other communicates to the fingers 18 and 19 an effort which is transmitted to the plate and makes it possible to withdraw the end of this latter from the connector 6.

Moreover, as has been more especially illustrated in FIG. 2, the locking hooks are fitted with a restoring spring 24 which is fitted inside a recess 25 of the corresponding lateral member of the frame, in such manner as to continuously thrust back the hooks towards the plate so as to cause the said hooks to remain stationary when they are in the locking position.

Finally, the device in accordance with the invention comprises means for permitting a number of frames to be assembled together. As can be seen in FIG. 2, each lateral member of the frames comprises a lug or stud 26 and a bore 27 which are provided respectively on two opposite edges of the said lateral member. Moreover, it can be seen in FIG. 3 that each connector support has two sole-pieces 28 and 29 which are disposed at each end in opposite relation. FIG. 4 then shows the combined assembly of three frames and brings out more clearly the respective functions of the lugs and solepieces.

It will be understood thatthe present invention is not limited to the single form of embodiment which has just been described. In particular, it would be possible to contemplate certain alternative forms in the design of the locking hooks as well as in the means of assembly of the various frames.

What we claim is: In a supporting frame for circuit plates, an upright, a multi-terminal connector on said upright, two spaced parallel lateral members connected to said upright, a groove in each of said members, a circuit plate slideably mounted in said grooves, a pair of spaced locking and withdrawal hooks, a slot in each of said members through said groove in said member adjacent to said upright,

pivot means mounting one of said hooks in each of said slots, each of said books including a tooth, a notch for each of said hooks in said plate in locking cooperation with each of said teeth, a finger on each of said hooks bearing against the end of said plate adjacent to said connector, a handle for rotating each of said hooks about its pivot means and spring means for each of said hooks urging each of said hooks toward locking position with each of said teeth in each of said notches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,217,496 Riley Oct. 8, 1940 2,647,244 Dewey et a1. July 28, 1953 3,048,811 Lock Aug. 7, 1962 

